Bronx 'Gladiator' on TV Tonight

“Push your body as far as it can go,” read the text message from personal trainer Jessica Garcia’s father.

This was just one of the countless calls and text messages from friends, teachers and family members that the Bronx native and “American Gladiators” challenger has received the week before her upcoming debut on Monday night’s show.

“My mother always knew I was destined to do something big in fitness,” Garcia said in a phone interview. “She helps me remember where I’m from.”

Garcia, 25, spent her childhood living on Marion Avenue, but moved to Throgs Neck at the age of 9. At first, the peppy, pint-sized Puerto Rican found it difficult to fit in with the largely Irish and Italian neighbors, but became more outgoing and independent through cheerleading.

Read the rest of Stephen Baron's story here.

Bedford Park is HOT!!

The citywide media have discovered the appeal of Bedford Park. Time Out New York and the New York Times almost simultaneously featured the neighborhood in its pages over the last week. The Times highlighted it in its "If Your Thinking of Living in ..." series and Time Out included it in a package of short articles about neighborhoods along the subway lines.

Just a couple of minor quibbles -- The Times piece says a coffee shop may be opening across from Lehman College, but there are already two bustling ones very close by on Bedford Park Boulevard. And the caption on the picture of the kid skateboarding has him misplaced in Bronx Park, rather than what is obviously Mosholu Parkway.

Hey Bedford Park residents! What do you think of all the attention? Do you want to be discovered or would you rather the attributes of your community be your little secret?

Got the Blues?

We all feel a little blue on Monday mornings. But if you missed the SaRon Crenshaw Blues Band's performance on Saturday night at the Bronx River Art Center, you might be feeling even more blue than usual. More than 30 aficionados braved passing thunderstorms and piled into the Bronx River Art Center. They were rewarded with a soulful, energetic performance by the five members of the band. This final installment of the fifth annual June performing arts festival was a resounding success.

And while Daddy Day Care isn't the best movie in Eddie Murphy's filmography, there's something special about watching a movie outdoors during the summer in the Bronx! These young people were joined by parents and families who enjoyed the movie after finishing games of Ecuavoli.

The next Movie on the Green at the Williamsbridge Oval is Bee Movie, showing on Friday, July 11 (movies start after sunset- more like 8:30 to 8:45pm rather than the 7:45pm time advertised by Assemblywoman Rivera's office.

Bronx News Round-up

Here's a bundle of recent Bronx news stories, courtesy of one of our talented young reporters, Stephen Baron.

Bronx HIV Testing Push
The city health department wants every Bronx adult to get a free HIV test over the next three years, officials announced today.

To tie in with National HIV Testing Day, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is launching the largest HIV testing initiative in the city’s history. The campaign, called “The Bronx Knows,” also hopes to reach the 250,000 Bronx adults who have never been tested.

Though the Bronx beats the other boroughs in testing rate, Bronxites count for nearly a quarter of the city’s HIV infections and a third of AIDS deaths each year. Among Bronx residents who tested positive in 2006, more than a quarter were already sick with AIDS.

The Norwood News has previously reported on Montefiore’s Adolescent AIDS Program and Bronx AIDS Services.

Bronxites can visit any of one of 40 testing locations in the borough for a free, confidential HIV test. Visit here for a listing of locations.

Pathways Saved
The Bronx alternative high school Individual Pathways at Walton High School will be open for at least one more year, which comes as a relief to neighborhood residents, the Daily News reports.

School Funding Restored
City Council restored $129 million to stave off school budget cuts in the approved budget last night, though the school funding came at the expense of money usually given to “library services, cultural affairs, legal aid, seniors and government services,” the Daily News reports.

Fordham and Botanical Garden
Fordham University announced with the New York Botanical Garden a new graduate degree program to receive a master’s degree or doctorate in environmental science, the Daily News reports.

Lehman College Student Raped
Police are on the hunt for a rapist who attacked a Lehman College student in her Washington Heights apartment, the Daily News reports. Police have not released the name of the 19-year-old student.

Fun Happenings in the West Bronx this Weekend

There are some great outdoor activities happening in the Bronx this weekend:

Free Movie at Williambsbridge Oval
Friday, June 27 at 7:45pm
Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera is hosting a free movie at the Williamsbridge Oval (entrance is on Bainbridge Avenue and Reservoir Oval). Tonight's showing is "Daddy Day Care," featuring Eddie Murphy. For a full listing of the movies, concerts, and festivals being sponsored by the Assemblywoman's office click here.

SaRon Crenshaw Blues Band at Drew Gardens
Saturday, June 28 at 8pm (suggested contribution is $10)
On Saturday, the Bronx River Art Center is offering its third and final concert as part of the Bronx River Sounds June Performing Arts Festival. Drew Gardens is located on E. Tremont across from the Bronx River Art Center (1087 E. Tremont Ave between Boston Road and E. 177th Street). The performance will feature original songs and classic blues covers from SaRon Crenshaw, an old school blues player. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be held at the Bronx River Art Center.

Armory Community Benefits Agreement Highlighted in Times Article

Members of Kingsbridge Armory Development Alliance rallied in front of the landmarked facility last October.

The New York Times highlighted the issues and tensions surrounding the local demand for a Community Benefits Agreement for the Kingsbridge Armory in a June 25 article.

Members of the Kingsbridge Armory Redevelopment Alliance say, before they can support the Related Companies plans for rehabbing the facility, they want a signed agreement laying out wages and hiring standards for workers and tenants.and guarantees concerning community space and facilities.

Related says they're more accustomed to working with the local community board -- in this case, Community Board 7. Board 7 chair Greg Faulkner tells the Times, "There are more voices than KARA."

And the city is opposed to a CBA, arguing that the city's land use process provides "ample opportunity for the community's voices to be heard."

Read the whole article here.

Kingsbridge Nursing Home Crisis

I'll start out with a disclsoure: The Kingsbridge Nursing Home, where the workers have been on strike for four months, is practically right across the street from where I live in Kingsbridge Heights. I don't write much on the blog about where I live, since it's just outside the Norwood News coverage area. But this is hard to ignore for many reasons -- for the sheer presence and persistence of the health care workers on the picket line 24 hours a day, for concerns about the health and safety of the patients inside, for the refusal of Nursing Home owner Helen Siger to negotiate, and for all the alleged financial irregularities and violations such as the Workmen Compensation's Board charge that Siger hasn't paid into the fund for 13 months.

A Daily News article today lists all the problems.

There has been a lot of political attention to this issue and state investigations are ongoing. Politicians, including U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, have rallied with workers and community members. If ever there were a situation that required government intervention it is here. It shouldn't take 5 months for government to act on an issue as serious and life-threatening as this. We'll be keeping tabs on the situation here until there is some resolution ...

New in the Norwood News

Fresh, hot off the presses news from the Norwood News is online and on the streets now. A quick preview:

-Local residents lambasted the DEP's plan to use explosives to blast out a shaft at the Jerome Park Reservoir. Because of space issues, the story doesn't go into much detail about the meeting where residents railed against the blasting plan. So here we'd like to say that residents spoke adamantly and eloquently about the fact that they needed more information on how the plan would be implemented and more evidence that blasting is the way to go. They did not appreciate the DEP's attitude or officials saying, essentially: "Trust us." They've been there, done that.

On a side not, this may have angered residents around the Jerome Park Reservoir who have been sitting on the sidelines while community and political anger has risen about the filtration plant project (skyrocketing costs, possible corruption) in Van Cortlandt Park. Not good for the DEP. Here's our editorial on the DEP's latest setback.

-We have an interesting feature story about Norwood musician and artist Ibrahim Gonzalez who's career has taken some intriguing twists and turns since he met independent film icon Melvin Van Peebles three years ago. Read the story here.

-A quick story on the 100-year anniversary of the University Heights Bridge.

-Bronx entrepreneurs get a leg up at the third annual North Bronx Economic Development Summit.

Also, find out what's happening in the local entertainment and art scene in our Out & About section. And find out about local programs, events and services in our expanded online version of Neighborhood Notes.

Sign up for a free Norwood News account and receive breaking news updates and our bi-weekly e-mail blast here.

Hunts Point Express On-Line

The latest issue of the Hunts Point Express is on the streets and 0n-line. The Express is published by Bernard Stein (former Riverdale Press editor and owner) and his journalism students at Hunter College.

Block Party Planning Session

On Aug. 30, a block party - billed as the first ever in the neighborhood - is being held on Cedar Avenue, between Fordham Road and the Hall of Fame Terrace (opposite University Woods).

A planning session for the event will take place at 11 a.m. this Saturday, at University Heights Presbyterian Church (2617 University Ave.), with the idea of giving local residents an opportunity to discuss what they'd like to see at the party and in their neighborhood at large.

The planning session and the party are being organized by the church and by Brandy Cochrane, founder of Friends of the Woods. (Sponsors include Hands On New York). University Woods, near BCC, is often derided as New York City's worst park, but Cochrane tells me that conditions have improved markedly in recent months, to the extent that she's now organizing park tours instead of clean-ups. Still, that might not save the Woods - the local community board wants to see the land developed.

For information about this Saturday, call (718) 295-1220 or 718-228-9309, or
e-mail thewoods@inbox.com.

Housing Conference

Council member Helen Foster is hosting a housing conference tonight at South Bronx Jobs Corp., at 1771 Andrews Ave., from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The theme is "Tenant Education: Gentrification and Affordability." All are welcome. Registration and dinner will be followed by two panels.

Panel 1: Gentrification

*Private Equity - Diego Gerana Quinones, CASA
*Vacancy Decontrol - Joya Colon, Housing Here & Now
*Mitchell-Lama Issues - Lenora Nelson, Mitchell-Lama Residents Coalition
*Sub-Prime & Foreclosures - Oscar Morillo, Neighborhood Housing Services

Panel 2: Affordabailty

*Housing Court - Jessica Hurd, Bronx Task Force on Housing Court
*Homelessness - Robert Robinson, Picture the Homeless
*Section 8 - Kate Johnston, Tenants & Neighbors
*Public Housing - Joanne Smitherman, South Bronx Council of Association Presidents

For more information, call Foster's district office at (718) 588-7500.

Construction Workers Escape Accident with Minor Injuries

Two construction workers narrowly avoided death after a large panel of bricks unexpectedly ripped off the side of a Montefiore Medical Center research building earlier this morning, knocking them off their scaffolding rig.

Both workers were taken to the nearby emergency room, but they sustained only minor injuries.

After being knocked from their scaffolding rig, the workers were dangling by their safety harnesses 10 stories above ground for five or six minutes, witnesses said, as fellow construction workers reeled them back to safety.

Read the rest of the story here.